One year ago...

One year ago today I woke up in beautiful Orange Beach and headed back to Birmingham. I was on a wonderful weekend trip with two of my friends. My stomach had been bothering me for over a week - including the ENTIRE time I was at the beach. I suspected that I may be pregnant so I took a test before I left but it was negative. As we drove in to town I decided that I would take one more pregnancy test. If it was negative I would make an appointment for the doctor - who knows, maybe I had a virus? I remember looking at the very faint positive line. My hands were trembling and my voice was shaking as I walked out into the living room. I told Adam that I thought I was pregnant. We decided that I should go get a blood test the following day just to be sure and as we all know...I was pregnant.

When I woke up that day last year, I had no idea that my life was about to change completely beginning that very evening. What a year it has been!! I now have the most wonderful 4 month old. I know I say it all the time - but I still can't get over how quickly this year has gone. Here are some pictures of my beautiful Caroline today!!




Isn't she just adorable in her little blue jeans??

Kickball

Adam is playing on a kickball team this fall. They had a game yesterday so Caroline and I went to watch and cheer him on!

Adam up to bat sporting the team uniform. They decided that jean shorts and knee socks are the way to go...


Action shot


When C wasn't watching her daddy play, she was trying to get her new teething toy into her mouth.


She enjoyed a lovely bottle in the third inning and I enjoyed sitting down!!


We got to see lots of our friends - including Jared! Anna was sick so she wasn't there. We hope that she gets better soon so she can play!!



Their team won the game. It was such a fun evening and we can't wait for next week!!

Since I'm looking back...

I also cannot believe that I was this big. Pregnancy is the strangest thing (but also the best thing).




These were also taken by Gresham Photography less than three weeks before she was born.

A quick look back...

Can you believe that Caroline was this tiny?? It's all such a blur I almost don't remember that she looked like this!! It just goes by too fast. I love the stage she's in now - she's all smiles and giggles but I did totally love the sweet newborn stage. Maybe I'll just have another one soon...(just kidding Adam!!)






All of these pictures were done by Gresham Photography. We love Brandon and Stacy!

From France to Germany...

Caroline loves her Sophie the Giraffe toy. It really is a great teething toy. Somehow, Caroline dragged Sophie against something and now she has a bit of a Hitler mustache that won't come off!! At least we'll know which Sophie is hers!!

Four Months Old!!!!

Four Months Old - September 23, 2010


Today my sweet girl is four months old!! She's one third of the way through the first year. She went to the doctor on Monday for her check up. She weighed 13 lb. 10 oz. (between 25th - 50th percentile) and was 25.5 inches long (90th percentile). Her head was 15.75 inches (50th percentile). She's one long and lean little girl. She's still wearing a size one diaper but I think she'll be moving up soon! Her clothing size is all over the place depending on brand. She does wear mostly 3 month though. She's still eating between 4-6 oz. at each feeding. The doctor gave us the go ahead to start rice cereal and other baby food but we have elected to wait. Babies should start food between 4 and 6 months. The benefits to waiting include a smaller chance for food allergies and childhood obesity. We probably won't wait until 6 months, maybe just another month or so. We are looking forward to starting her on food though!! She smiles, coos and laughs all the time. She LOVES seeing her daddy when he gets home each day!! She's a daddy's girl for sure. She is so laid back and only gets upset when she's very hungry. She still sleeps through the night a lot of nights, but lately she has been getting up once for a little bottle and a diaper change. She's been putting EVERYTHING in her mouth - including her feet!!

Happy four months Caroline!!! I love you more than you can ever know. I think that I love you more than any mother has ever loved their child. Everyday is my new favorite day with you. You have the sweetest personality and the most adorable smile. I am so blessed to be your mother and to be able to spend so much time with you. I love you very much baby girl!!!

Sweet Dreams

Caroline has just started playing with some of her toys and holding some of her "lovies." Adam and I bought this little dog stuffed animal before she was born. We both love dogs and want her to really love them too :) Last week she decided that she needed to hold "Little Daisy" every time she went to sleep. It was adorable.

Possessed

Adam took this picture on his new phone. Both my girls look possessed. It just makes me laugh!!

Rolling Over!!

Caroline rolled over from her tummy to her back all by herself today!!!! We've been working on it everyday and she's been so close for so long and then today - she did it!!! I was so excited and started cheering for her and I think I scared her!! Oops... I tried to get her to do it again, but she wouldn't. Granted she was tried and now she's taking a nap. I'm sure she'll do it again later. I am just proud of my little roly poly :)


On her back after she rolled over!



Daisy was so excited too. She gave her little sister some celebration kisses.

Daddy Time

Last Tuesday Adam started his new job!! We are so incredibly proud of him. The very first real conversation I had with him, he told me that he wanted to be a lawyer. Two and half years later, he got into law school. He worked so hard and now he's finally a "real" lawyer. I love that he actually did what he set out to do. He'll be working longer hours, but it's worth it if it will make him happy (and pay our bills) :) Since C doesn't get up until 7:00 each day, Adam has usually already left for work. Once he comes home, she only has a couple of hours before bed. Needless to say, this has been hard for Adam. He had the entire month of August home with her and it's difficult to go from seeing her all the time to only spending a couple of hours with her!!! I just love watching the two of them play together. Caroline smiles so big!!! I usually cook dinner while the two of them are playing - but most of the time I just want to watch them. Last night C was squealing because she was having so much fun!!! Of course as soon as I came to take a picture the smile went away and the "Mom, leave us alone" face came. It was still the most adorable moment that I got to see!!! This girl just LOVES her daddy time!!

Lately...

Caroline has been reaching for and grabbing things with purpose and she's doing great!! It's so amazing to see her learn these new skills. She truly is growing up right before our eyes!! Just a couple of months ago she was a teeny tiny newborn!! She'll be four months old in a week and a half. I know I say it all the time - but I just cannot believe that this much time has already passed. Anyway...Caroline has been doing great on her new schedule. She's been taking two naps a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. She's been going down to bed at about 8:30 and most nights (certainly not all!!) she sleeps through the night!! I've been getting her up at 7:00 each morning. It's been WONDERFUL having some structure in our day!! I've been working on getting her on a schedule that will work for us and then all of a sudden - she put herself on this schedule. It's been a few days now but I think it's really going to work!! Also, she has a new favorite toy. Our sweet friends, William and Kate, sent her a pacianimal. It's the best thing EVER. Since she's working on grabbing things this is perfect. She can hold onto it while she sucks the paci that's attached to its head. Thanks William and Kate!!!!!

Toes and Teething

I feel like Caroline changes so much every day. She has been "talking" all the time lately!! It just started at the end of last week. She'll look at us and just babble but she'll make facial expressions and change the tone of her voice like she's really trying to tell us something. She's also in love with her little toes. It's so cute to see her watch them and hold them (and she's been trying to get them in her mouth). It's all so cute! On the not so fun side...we think she has started teething. She's been drooling a ton for several weeks but hasn't been acting different other than that. A couple of days ago she was very fussy and then yesterday was horrible!! She kept acting like she was hungry but wouldn't take the bottle. If you took it out of her mouth though, she would scream. She would fall asleep in my arms so I would put her down for a nap but she would wake up 5 minutes later - not hungry, not wet, just in a bad mood. She's also been chewing on her hands. Last night we felt her gums and sure enough it feels like something is beginning to break through (at least that's how it feels to us who really are inexperienced in this department). I'm so not ready for teething yet!! She's only 3 1/2 months!! We go back to the pediatrician in two weeks for her four month appointment so I'll ask about it then.

Here's Caroline holding her little piggies!

The sweetest sound

Yesterday (Sunday, September 5th) Caroline laughed for the first time!!! There was no question about it - she totally giggled and it just made us melt!!! Adam was tickling her and she started to giggle. We stood there for a moment wondering if that really did happen or if we imagined it. He tickled her again and sure enough she laughed! I am so thankful that both of us were around to hear it!!

Sleeping Beauties

This is how Caroline sleeps most of the time now. It's so adorable!! Even though she does this every night we still find ourselves watching her!


Adam loves to sleep late. I do not. I have this theory that if I am awake then he should be too. Good thing Caroline agrees with me. Sleepy Adam had a hard time getting up so Caroline was helping him make some coffee!



I know...it's crazy to put a coffee filter on her head but it was just so cute! I promise that I will find other ways to amuse myself soon.

Ready to Roll

Yea Alabama!!! We had such a GREAT day on Saturday! We went to Tuscaloosa for the San Jose State game. C and I just stayed to tailgate and we drove back to Birmingham when the game started but we still had a blast!!

On our way to Tuscaloosa. She was super excited about the shaker!


She was decked out in Alabama gear...even down to her diaper cover!


We got to see lots of our friends, like Aunt Laura!!


I just LOVE this baby girl so much!!



Next weekend she'll be watching the game from home with Mimi and Papa while Adam and I go to the Penn State game.

Soccer Time!

This afternoon we went to watch Mary Scott play in the Liberty Cup soccer tournament. Her team won!! We saw the last game - and she scored two of the goals! She's so amazing.

We knew it was going to be a sunny day...so we got prepared.


She really enjoyed watching the game.


She just didn't realize it was the wrong game.


Going for the ball like a little pro


Super star player!!


The Israel men watching the game

Visiting with Friends

Caroline got a little spoiled tonight with so many people holding her!! We went to Billy's in Liberty Park to watch the first SEC game of the season and to visit with our friend Cal (Neal's older brother), who lives in London. We had such a great time! It was wonderful to have a break and see our friends and I know that little Caroline just loved hanging out with such cute boys...(who can blame her :) )

Caroline and Chippy


Caroline and Cal. She's so calm...it must be something about those Nesmith boys!!!


Caroline with Daniel

Nap Time

Some days Caroline takes wonderful long naps - some days she doesn't. Today I was getting ready for our play date and Adam put Caroline down for a nap. I kept hearing strange ripping noises through the monitor so I went to go check on her. Somehow she had ripped the velcro sides off the sleep positioner and spit out her paci and decided to suck on the sleep positioner. It was too funny!!!

Dinner with friends

Tonight the three of us went to eat dinner with our good friends, Kelley and Chris and their two sweet kids. We met them last year at the Alpha class at TUMC. The day that Adam and I found out we were pregnant we had to miss Alpha since I passed out and felt weak. The following week we went (still keeping our pregnancy a secret) and Kelley told us that she was pregnant. It was so hard to not explode with our news too! We ended up both having sweet little girls just a few weeks apart. It was so fun to go through the entire pregnancy with someone else. Here we are a year later still having a great time...and what a year it has been!!

The two dads and their lovely little ladies


How sweet is this?? Hudson insisted that Kelley make a birthday cake for Adam!!


I love that we'll get to watch these two grow up and be buddies!! They'll get to say they were friends since birth!



Thanks for all the pics K (as I stole them all from her blog). We had a wonderful time!!